Film winding mechanism for cameras



x J. A. HENNE FILM WINDING MECHANISM FOR CAMERAS Sept. 13,- 1949.

Filed March 20. 1947 IN VEN TOR.

ai-eateaan d snowi Patented Sept. 13 1949 iliizMWiNDiNG MECHANISM FOR CAMERAS JuliussA; Henne, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Webster Industries, Inc., Webster, N. Y., a corpoi'ation of New York Application March 20, 1947, Serial N0. 735,986

3 Claims.

This invention relates to film winding-mechanismfor cameras of 'the general'typein which a film is wound onto a spool: permanently arranged Within a cameracase between successive exposures and rewound fromsaid spool on to-a removable holder after the film is completely exposed, and it has for-itspurpose to afford a simple and practical structure Iorduickly'attaching one end of a film to a permanent-1y located rotatable spool or support and controlling the spooljin such fashion as to permit thenecessary winding and rewinding operations.

More particularly, the invention is-designed to enable the use of a film supporting spool constructed of plastic material and has for its purpose to afford an'arra'iigeiiientin'connection with a plastic spool or support thatenables readily attaching the end of a Zfilm thereto and securely holding the film on thespool during the winding operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a practical and simple assemblyfor-a spool con" structed of plastic material that. enables "supporting the spool within-a case constructed of plastic material and permits the'necessarycontrol o1 the spool-winding mechanism whereby the plastic spool is movable in either direction for winding or 'rewindin'g and is positively maintained against rewinding movement while positioned for the winding operation.

A further object *of the invention is-to afford an economical construction enabllngthe, use of a spool constructed or plastic 'material of hollow tubular formation and associated: with a iii gripping means that securely held within the spool and functions atall-times to e'nablerea-dily positioning the end of a'fi'liii inoperative engagement with thespoolsand holding' it securely during the Winding operation.-

To these and'other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement ofparts that will appear clearly from the following deseription when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the novel features being pointed out in theclaims following the -:specification.

Inthe'drawingsi Fig.1-'is aplanview of aicaniera case' with "the cover portion removed anwsnswmg applied thereto a preferred embarrass of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse verticalisectibnai view on the line =2#2 of 1 looking lathe direction inp g the fltm-wtnding' inecha nism in position 1 wineriesmm (in-the spool;

Fig; 3 "is a similar view, partially broken away,

and showing the film-winding mechanism adjusted to release the spool and permit rewinding of the film;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View on-the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated;

Fig. 6 is a sectional'view on theline 66 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated;

Fig. '1 is a detail sectional view in the same plane as Fig. 4 with the'film omitted, and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the spool and film:- winding mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawi'ngsiin which like reference numerals refer to-th'e'same parts throughout the several views, designates the body portion of the camera case'and'2 the removable cover portion, which are preferably made of plastic material, and arranged within the body I is a rotatable support for a cartridge 3 from which the film 4 is wound successively after each exposure, as usual in this generaltype of camera, and the present invention has to-do particularly with the means for receivingthe film as it is wound from the 'cartri'dgeB and'for attaching the free end of the film tothe spool or tube on which it is wound, also the mecha'nism for locking the film'against rewinding while the parts are adjusted for winding; permitting rewinding when the film has been completely exposed, and adapting the structure toa case spool or tubular support made from plastic material.

To attain these objectives, there is provided a rotatable film support consisting of a hollow cylindrical tube 5 formed .of plastic' mater'iahthe cylindrical wall having substantial thickness as shown and as preferred when using plastic terial. The tubular film suppor t'has '-along tudinal slot 6 which preferably extends from-one end of the tube to a point spacedfrom its oppos ite end and is narrowest at its outer' 'edg-e;the slot being defined by inwardlydiverging opposite surfaces l' which are convexly curved as shown, aifording a wider portion at 'the' inner Jedge Of the slot, and merging into the interior curvedisurface of the tube along continuous curves;

The loose end of the film is attached to the tubular support by being-enteredthrdugh the narrow outer portion of the slot 6' and then gripped between a curved surface .loflthe tube and the adjacent surface'ofa fleiiible spririgplate il'that is of generally rectangular formaand fiiider than the interior diameter of thetube.

' The'plate i5 is preferably"ofthin 'spl higmtfl,

and when inserted into the hollow tubular support from the slotted end of the latter is flexed sufliciently to permit its being received within the tube, and after being pushed endwise into place within the tubular support, the spring plate occupies the position shown in Fig. 4 with its longitudinal edges engaging opposite points of the interior of thetubeand its convexly curved central portion intermediate its longitudinal edges extending into the slot 6 and located within the wider portion 1 at the base of the slot.

With this arrangement, the free end of a film can be readily inserted through the narrow slot 6 and thence into either of the V-shaped pockets formed by the adjacent contacting surfaces of the tubular support and the spring metal gripping plate which is sufficiently yieldable to permit the paper readily to move between the plastic and metal surfaces and at the same time possesses suflicient gripping action to hold the end of the film with such force as to permit it to be wound on to the'tubular support when the latter is turned. The tubular support rests in a bearing formed in a wall 9 of the plastic case while III designates a metal strap surrounding the tubular support and holding it in engagement with the bearing 9, the strap being positioned adjacent to a shoulder I I at the slotted end of the tubular support.

In order to effect the necessary movement of the plastic tubular support, there is provided a rotatable metal pin I2 mounted in an opening formed in a, wall I3 of the plastic case, the pin I 2 being inserted throughthe opening in the wall I3 and into the adjacent end of the tubular support 5. The pin I2 is held in locked engagement with the tubular support against relative rotation by means of a spring-actuated locking plunger I4 that is transversely movable in the pin and mounted for this purpose in a transverse opening and moved outwardly under the impulse of a spring I5 into a slot I6 that extends longitudinally of the tubular support 5 on its interior surface. 7

Thus the locking plunger I4 engaged with the slot I6 prevents relative turning between the tubular support and the pin I2 while permitting the latter to be moved longitudinally of the tubular support to permit'rewinding the film, as will be described presently. I'I designates an opening formed at the outer end of the tubular support 5 and of sufficient size to permit insertion of the locking plunger I4 therethrough for assembling. To assemble these parts, the pin I2 is first inserted through the wall I3 into the adjacent end of the tubular support 5 and turned within the tubular support until the opening which receives the locking plunger I4 is alined vertically with the opening I I, whereupon the spring I5 and locking plunger l4 are successively inserted through the opening H of the tubular support into the transverse opening in the pin, and the locking plunger I4 'is then pressed inwardly against the action of the spring I5'by any'suitable tool to permit turning the pin I2 relatively to the tubular support 5 until the locking plunger I4 is out of alinement with the opening I 1. The pin is then turned'further until the locking plunger I4 is in alinement with the slot I6, and the tubular support 5, and when the film has been entirely exposed and it is desired to rewind it onto its removable spool, the pin I2 can be moved longitudinally with respect to the tubular support 5 owing to the slot I6 permitting endwise movement of the locking plunger I4 while preventing relative rotation between these parts, such ende Wise movement permitting the pin I2 to be shifted to a position in which it is unlocked for reverse movement or rewinding, and this is accomplished in the following manner.

The-pin I2 is provided at its outer end with a handle or knob I 8 bywhich it is turned, the handle I8 being preferably of plastic material and attached tothe metal pin I2 by means of a metal plate I9 embedded in the plastic handle I8 and suitably fastened to the metal pin, while 20 designates a coil spring closely surrounding the pin I2 and arranged between the metal plate I9 and the wall I3. The spring 20 has an outwardly extending end 2| that projects radially away from the pin I2 and betweenitwo of the projections 22 which: are spaced from'each other and arranged circularly around the pin I2 on the outer surface of the wall I3; The projections 22 thus afford radial recesses or openings 23 which receive the radially extending end 2| of the spring, as shown in Fig.6, and with this arrangement, assuming the :handle I8 and pin" I2 to be adjusted inwardly as shown in Fig. 2 for wind- 7 ing the film on to thetubular support, when the handle and pin I2 are turned clockwise with reference to Fig. 6, the end 2| of the coil spring engages the adjacent. projection and is held thereby, which prevents .the spring from .compressing against the pin I2 and permits turning of the pin within the loose spring-and with it the tubular support 5. If while these parts remain in the winding position, it is attempted to turn the handle and pin in the reverse direction, this is effectually prevented because the end 2| of the spring moves anti-clockwise, see Fig. 6, against the adjacent projection 22 and'compresses the spring about the pin I2 to hold the pin tightly by frictional engagement against movement. The pin is released from the locking action of the spring ZII by'pulling thehandle I8 and pin I2 outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3, in which position the projecting end 2| of the spring is out of the plane of the projections 22, and the pin and tubular'support are then free to turn in the reverse direction when the removable spool at the opposite end of the case is turned to rewind the film in the cartridge.

While the invention has been described with relation to the embodiment shown, it is not confined to the details illustrated, and this application is intended to cover such modifications or departures as may come 'within th purposes of the improvements or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a camera,'film winding mechanism comprising a rotatable tubular 'film support having a slot extending longitudinally of its wall, and a generally rectangular flexible spring plate 'of greater width than the interior'diameter of said tubular support before insertion therein and arranged within said-tubular support in flexed U-shaped form with its longitudinal edgesyieldably engaging opposite points of the interior surface and acting tog'retain the plate in position with its convex centralfportion. intermediate its.

' prising a rotatable tubular film support including a wall of substantial thickness having a slot extending longitudinally thereof, said slot being narrowest at its outer edge and defined by inwardly diverging surfaces affording a wider portion at its inner edge, and a generally rectangular flexible spring plate of greater width than the interior diameter of said tubular support before insertion therein and arranged within said tubular support in flexed U-shaped form with its longitudinal edges yieldably engaging opposite points of th interior surface and acting to retain the plate in position with its convex central portion intermediate its longitudinal edges located in said wider portion of the slot.

3. In a camera, film winding mechanism comprising a rotatable tubular film support including a wall of substantial thickness having a slot extending longitudinally thereof, said slot being narrower at its outer edge and defined by inwardly diverging convex surfaces forming a continuous curve with the interior surface of the tubular support and affording a wider portion at the inner edge of the slot, and a generally rectangular flexible spring plate of greater width REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 887,472 Gammeter May 12, 1908 1,394,401 Berry Oct. 18, 1921 1,438,212 Baluta Dec. 12, 1922 1,564,435 May Dec. 8, 1925 1,578,894 Joy Mar. 30, 1926 2,180,023 Lucker Nov. 14, 1939 2,182,398 Gantier Dec. 5, 1939 

